Rashaad

Penny

Penny, 28, is leaving the game a few months after signing with Carolina. A highly productive back out of San Diego State, Penny battled constant injuries during five seasons with the Seahawks. He finally emerged as an explosive lead back in the second half of the 2021 season, rushing for 672 yards and six scores in the season’s final six games. Penny spent one forgettable season with the Eagles. The Panthers backfield depth chart now includes Chuba Hubbard, rookie Jonathon Brooks, and Miles Sanders.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Penny or his fantasy managers in 2023. The former first-round pick signed a one-year deal with the Eagles last offseason and was expected to compete for touches in a shared backfield with D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell. Instead, Penny spent most of his weeks as a healthy scratch, amassing just 38 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches. Penny will be one of many backs competing for a backup running back role in camp and shouldn’t be viewed as a lock to make the 53-man roster.

Penny spent last season with the Eagles, appearing in three games and getting 11 carries for 33 yards. His role was reduced in the Philly backfield after spending five seasons with the Seahawks. Penny visited his former team with a chance to rejoin a backfield that looks different from his last stint in Seattle. If Penny does join the Seahawks, he would back up Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet as a depth piece.

A healthy scratch most of the season, Penny might finally get some run as the Eagles look to get in and get out of their home date with their not-trying Cardinals. Inactive for the Eagles are CB Darius Slay, QB Tanner McKee, CB Bradley Roby, LB Zach Cunningham, OL Tyler Steen and DT Marlon Tuipulotu.

Penny continues to be inactive with D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott healthy while Albert Okwuegbunam retreats to inactivity with Dallas Goedert now healthy. Tanner Mckee will serve as the team’s emergency quarterback against the Cowboys.

The Chiefs appear to be near full strength for a showdown between the top two teams in each conference, the winner of whom will be alone with the best record in the league through 11 weeks.

That makes veteran wide receiver Julio Jones active for the first game with his new franchise, likely to play a situational role out of the slot for one of the top offenses in the league. Penny hits the inactives list again with both Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott healthy. Tanner McKee will serve as the emergency quarterback.

Both Slay and Carter were ruled out before Sunday’s contest, leaving the Eagles with two massive holes in their defense. All of the fantasy relevant players are good to go against a Jets team that is also without several defensive starters.

It’s unclear whether Penny, who missed practice this week with an illness, is a healthy scratch this week. In any case, D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell will handle touches in the Philadelphia backfield against a middling LA rush defense. Fletcher Cox’s absence could make things slightly less difficult for Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense.

Penny has played just nine offensive snaps for the Eagles through four weeks and has routinely been a healthy inactive, making his likely absence from the lineup in Week 5 largely an afterthought - at least as far as fantasy is concerned. His next chance to return to game action will come in Week 6 when the Eagles face the Jets on the road.